Health
WHO clears trials of two Bundibugyo Ebola vaccines amid DRC outbreak
Al Jazeera reports the WHO has approved trials for two vaccines designed for the Bundibugyo strain, which has killed more than 5,300 people since May.
The short version
- The WHO has approved clinical trials for two new Ebola vaccines designed specifically for the Bundibugyo virus.[Al Jazeera]
- The Bundibugyo strain has killed more than 5,300 people since May, mostly in the DRC, and the African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention says 10,444 cases have been confirmed.[Al Jazeera]
- The DRC's National Institute for Biomedical Research leads the trial with WHO backing, and results are expected in early 2027.[Al Jazeera]
Key facts
- The World Health Organization approved clinical trials for two new Ebola vaccines designed for the Bundibugyo virus.[Al Jazeera]
- The Bundibugyo strain has killed more than 5,300 people, most in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, since May.[Al Jazeera]
- The African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said 10,444 cases of the Bundibugyo virus have been confirmed.[Al Jazeera]
- The Bundibugyo virus has a fatality rate of 50 percent, which public health agencies attribute to the lack of a vaccine or treatments designed for the strain.[Al Jazeera]
- The WHO reported that results from the vaccine trial are expected in early 2027.[Al Jazeera]
- The DRC's National Institute for Biomedical Research is leading the trial, backed by the WHO and other partners, according to WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.[Al Jazeera]
What remains uncertain
- The safety and effectiveness of the two vaccines are unknown until trial results, expected in early 2027, are available.[Al Jazeera]
- Case and death totals are figures attributed to health authorities and may be revised as the outbreak continues.[Al Jazeera]
Sources
Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.